The King in Yellow – The Demoiselle d’Ys
Posted: March 16, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: hare, illustration, literature, oil paint, Robert W Chambers, short story, The Demoiselle d'Ys, The King in Yellow Leave a comment
This story features a man walking on the french moors, lost until he is found by a woman and her helpers. They take him back to the castle where the man and woman become infatuated with each other, it turns out she’s from the past and he is returned to the present. The image I’ve used for this story is of the hare which is caught at the start of the story by a falcon. It gives across the feeling of threat and has a rather medieval subject matter. This picture had a lot hard things to paint in; the close up grass, the fur, the feathers and the textured bird skin. The darkness of this image does give a strong sense of atmosphere.
The King in Yellow- The Mask
Posted: March 16, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: illustration, literature, oil paint, Robert W Chambers, short story, still life, The King in Yellow, The Mask Leave a comment
This story is about a marble sculptor who invents a liquid that turn anything to marble. In the story he uses it on a gold fish and a flower before using it on people. These two objects take on the symbolism of the two characters. The picture is set on the sculptors desk with hints at cloth, tools and rubble. The challenge was making it look like the objects were made of marble without being able to use the obvious colour change. So the only real method was to make them look stiff and shiny. I quite like the triangular composition of this image, it feels more like a classical still life.
The King in Yellow – The Yellow Sign
Posted: March 16, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: illustration, literature, oil paint, Robert W Chambers, short story, The King in Yellow, The Yellow Sign Leave a comment
At the beginning of the story the protagonist, an artist ruins his painting. The paint runs and bleeds to a muddy mess, this is what I have attempted to portray in this painting. I’m not sure if it is clear that at the foreground is a canvas with a painting on. The background, the curtain and window seem quite lazily painted and a little crude, but the lack of detail does mean that your eye is drawn more to the detailed tuned painting. I have tried my best to remove any recognisable features from the panted figure as I felt a face would be a bit distracting.
The King in Yellow – In the Court of the Dragon
Posted: March 16, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: illustration, In the Court of the dragon, literature, oil paint, Robert W Chambers, short story, The King in Yellow Leave a comment
In this story the narrator leaves a church because he is scared of the organist. He runs though Paris in fear that he is being followed, in doing so he passes the place de la concorde. The fountain there is featured in the image, using the figures in place of the characters. The statue is looking over his shoulder in a paranoid manner (well at least it can be seen that way), with the dark imposing figure behind. I have changed around the composition of the fountain so that these two figures line up in this manner. As with all of the images in this series a heavily yellow colour scheme has been used to show the creeping influence of eponymous play. The figures and forms have not been done that well and I would have preferred for the background figures to have been darker and more mysterious.
The King in Yellow – The Repairer of Reputations
Posted: March 15, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: crown, illustration, literature, oil paint, Robert W Chambers, short story, The King in Yellow, The Repairer of Reputations Leave a comment
This story centres around a character with a warped perception of he world and is therefore an unreliable narrator. Subway stations are seen as death booths and in his safe is a crown of gold and emblazoned with diamonds which in fact is copper and paste. The crowns design is inspired by art nouveau jewellery. It is at a midpoint of grandiosity, as it is meant to be extremely precious to him but it is described as a diadem for him to be a prince. The dark background makes the the crown stand out more and creates an ambiguous backdrop consistent with the mind of the narrator. The scanned in image shows up the brush marks more than in real life, which I’m not overly keen on as it makes the background less dreamlike.
All Summer in a Day – Ray Bradbury
Posted: February 18, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: all summer in a day, illustration, oil paint, Ray Bradbury, Sci-fi, short story 1 Comment
In this story a class of school children on Venus wait for the short period of time where it stops raining and the sun comes out. The one girl who has seen the sunshine before is locked in the cupboard by the class and misses the event. The picture is from her point of view inside the cupboard with a crack of light shining underneath the door. I think this helps the viewer to empathise with the girl. There is a lot not shown in this picture so most of the sci-fi elements are left to the readers imagination.
A Sound of Thunder – Ray Bradbury
Posted: February 18, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: A Sound of Thunder, Butterfly effect, illustration, literature, oil paint, Playboy, Ray Bradbury, short story Leave a comment
Bradbury’s short story centres on a man who pays a time travelling hunting company to go back and kill a t-rex. In order not to alter the present/future they must not alter anything in the past and only kill dinosaurs that are just about to die. To avoid tampering with the world they walk on a floating walkway above the jungle floor which is shown here in my image. I find the White path contrasts nicely with the jungle, although maybe it could have been smoother to exaggerate this. The arcing path evocative of the idea of time travel, looping back and forth. The unseen destination is representative of the unknown present/future that they return to, but this may have worked better if the picture was flipped so the path went back then forwards. I have scratched into the picture to create the texture of the ferns, which I think was a much easier way of doing it.
There Will Come Soft Rains – Ray Bradbury
Posted: February 18, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: illustration, literature, oil paint, Ray Bradbury, Sci-fi, short story, The Martian Chronicles, There Will Come Soft Rains Leave a comment
In the story a futuristic house goes about its daily routine; making breakfast, hoovering, ect. The people are long gone, so it is just this house functioning for no real reason. A fire starts in the house and it starts to burn down. In the text it mentioned a Picasso burning, at the time of painting this I was still writing my dissertation on Cubism. I thought to use Picasso’s study of Horta, which features buildings as the subject, which look like futuristic geometric structures.
There were a few problems with paining this, the first being copying the original painting while also imposing the alteration in colour that being next to a large fire would cause. Painting flames also proved to be quite tricky, they don’t look very effective. what to do beneath the line of flames was a bit of a conundrum, I kept it simple and made a subtle allusion to the frame of the canvas. I think the white marks to show the sweating and warping paint are quite effective, the smoke marks running upwards also look ok. I think the original painting does get a bit lost with half of it missing and other elements laid on top.
9 Billion Names of God – Arthur C. Clarke
Posted: February 17, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: 9 Billion Names of God, Arthur C. Clarke, computer, gif, illustration, oil paint, Sci-fi, short story, temple Leave a commentIn Clarks story a computer operator is hired by a set of Tibetan monks to go an help them use the super calculator. They are attempting to find the name of god by using the computer to make all the combinations. My image shows the computer in the temple, with a contrast between the traditional and the technological. I have kept the image black and white so that these two elements tie together more. The pillars which are meant to be covered in decorative material do look more like the spinning brushes of a car wash.
The picture has a religious sense of stillness, to counteract this I have made a very subtle animation. It makes the lights on the computer blink, this creates more of a contrast between the calm temple and the computer. I find that the black pillar at the forefront of the image makes it more immersive as though it is being seen from the point of view of a character in the story.
Harrison Bergeron – Kurt Vonnegut
Posted: February 17, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: Harrison Bergeron, illustration, Kurt Vonnegut, literature, oil paint, Sci-fi, short story, Welcome to the Monkey House Leave a comment
The story is set in a world where all are made to be equal, those who grow tall wear weights, the beautiful wear masks and the intelligent wear boxes on their ears that emit sharp noises to stop them from completing thoughts. Harrison Bergeron is a godlike man who out grows all of his restraints, he takes a rebellious ballerina as his queen before he is swiftly shot.
When doing this painting I wanted to try paining on different coloured backgrounds, I think the image overall is a bit too multicoloured. I have tried to make the contraption quite crude as that is how they come across in the story.
Super-Toys Last All Summer Long – Brian Aldiss
Posted: February 17, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: A.I., Brian Aldiss, illustration, literature, oil paint, Sci-fi, short story, Super-Toys Last All Summer Long, teddy Leave a comment
The story focuses on the relationship between a woman and her robot ‘son’, which she is unable to love. The robot – David, on the other hand loves her very much and continually seeks her affection. another robot named Teddy also lives in the house and is David’s friend/toy, the mother is able to connect more with Teddy. The story ends with the news that the husband and wife have been given permission to have a child naturally, they decide to send David back to the factory and to keep Teddy.
I have tried to make the image have a cold and sterile edge, to reflect the emotions of the mother, while showing the seemingly cuddly Teddy. To achieve this I have used white and green to contrast with the warm coloured fur, I have also tried to make the eyes as dead and emotionless as possible. I chose Teddy as the image as he/it is a seemingly cute loving thing, much like David. The straight on pose is robotic and causes him to stare out straight at the viewer lifelessly.
White Angel
Posted: September 19, 2014 Filed under: subject | Tags: angel, art, grave, illustration, literature, Michael Cunningham, oil paint, short story, still life, stone, The New Yorker, tombstone, White Angel Leave a comment‘White Angel’ is a story by Michael Cunningham which tells the story of a young boy and his teenage brother. The eponymous monument in the graveyard behind their house is where many pivotal moments happen for for the boys, they keep whiskey and drop acid there. Frisco watches his older brother lose his virginity beneath it and it is also watching over the fatal ending. The angel is central to a lot of the story not actively but it is there and I can see why it was chosen for the title. The angel acts as a nice grounded constant to act as a background to some of the wilder actions of the older brother Carlton. What becomes quite a moving story at the end I feel would be hampered by an image of the more raucous activities.
I think the image is nice and serene but it could have been more refined. I think on reflection it would have been better to do it on a larger scale so that I could make it sharper and more detailed.
Considering the Bittersweet End of Susan Falls
Posted: September 19, 2014 Filed under: subject | Tags: Adam Levin, art, box turtle, Considering the Bittersweet End of Susan Falls, Hot Pink, illustration, oil paint, short story, still life, terrapin Leave a comment‘Considering the Bittersweet End of Susan Falls’ by Adam Levin is a story following Susan Falls a 15 year old girl who is in a lesbian in college and a wheelchair. The box turtle in the image is her pet which represents her immobility. It is also part of her past which is gradually revealed as the story progresses, being part of the reason why she is in the wheelchair. 
The box turtle was fairly tricky to paint with the texture of the skin and and the highlights in relation to the upper light and the reflection of the floor. I think the shadow works well in creating some sense of space. the white I think gives the feel of a dead persons story as if in some heavenly place.
I thought the image would look better with more white space above to give the feeling of it being lower and more small and helpless.
The Gospel According to Mark
Posted: September 19, 2014 Filed under: subject | Tags: bible, Borges, crucifix, crucifixion, illustration, jesus, Jorge Luis Borges, literature, short story, still life, The Gospel According to Mark, The New Yorker Leave a commentBorges’ short story ‘The Gospel According to Mark’ tells of a young medical student going out to stay with an uneducated farming family. While living with them he reads them the only book they care for – an old bible. As he helps them with his intelligence and modern advances they mistake his acts for miracles. During his stay there is heavy rain which causes leaks and a flood. As the family believe him to be jesus or a Jesus like figure they crucify him using spare wood from the roof repair.
This image could be seen as a bit of a spoiler for the end of the story but, Jesus references are very frequent so it just seems to parallel those. Only as the story progresses would the image of his crucifix take on a more foreboding and sinister tone. I quite like the image but the painting is a little rough and doesn’t feel exactly metallic. The second image is as though it is underwater, this has been done in relation to flood that happens. It also provides a more ominous feel of danger and and an impending doom. I don’t think the distortion is particularly effective as it was done without reference. I think by having what is an active distortion it loses its stillness and thus loses a realness and uncomfortableness.
The black and white image has subsequently been used for a zine produced by the Cardiff Illustration Society. We were asked to contribute images to be screen printed so I thought that this monochrome image would work nicely. The publication also had the theme of ‘facade’ and I thought that the distortion functioned as a kind of mask to the crucifix so that also worked out nicely.
Mr. Parker
Posted: September 19, 2014 Filed under: subject | Tags: art, illustration, Laurie Colwin, literature, Mr. Parker, oil paint, Passion and Affect, short story, still life Leave a commentLaurie Colwin’s short story ‘Mr. Parker’ is about an adolescent girl named Janie and her kindly neighbour and piano teacher, Mr. Parker. When his wife passes away, Janie’s mother becomes uncomfortable with Janie taking lessons alone at Mr. Parker’s house. The story explores the transition from childhood. 
The image combines the different elements described; biscuits, lemonade, a framed flower and a metronome. The arrangement is supposed to be situated on top of the piano, hence the music and the metronome. The doily adds to the sense of harmlessness of Mr. Parker, as the story doesn’t really portray him in a creepy way, it is all done really through the mothers paranoia. I don’t feel any of the objects in the painting have a real sense of solidity, the edges aren’t sharp and the colours are a bit wishy-washy.
The Lottery
Posted: September 19, 2014 Filed under: subject | Tags: art, illustration, literature, Lottery, oil paint, paper, Shirley Jackson, short story, still life, stone, The Lottery, The New Yorker Leave a comment‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson tells of a town where a lottery of folded papers is done. The one with the black spot means that the person is to be stoned. In my image I have placed a stone over the centre where the spot would be, replacing the black mark for a dark stone.
I dont think that this image works all that well, its a bit bright for what is quite a sinister story. The effect of paper is also not very effective and doesn’t look as though its in a relationship with the stone, more angular shading indicating creases would probably worked better.
Graven Image
Posted: September 19, 2014 Filed under: subject | Tags: art, golden, Graven Image, illustration, John O'Hara, oil paint, pig, short story, still life, The New Yorker Leave a commentJohn O’Hara’s short story ‘Graven Image’ tells of a meeting of two men over lunch. The main body of the story is the conversation between the two. In terms of imagery in the story there is all the food that they eat, lobsters and such, as well as the mans golden pig keyring. The theme of antisemitism is prevalent and the pig works well to show this in a not too obvious way. Referring back to the title it also places this golden pig as an idol for greed. I placed it quite small on the page to give it a sense of being a small object and I also thought it looked nice.
Prizes
Posted: September 19, 2014 Filed under: subject | Tags: art, diary, five year diary, illustration, Janet Frame, john bull, oil paint, printing outfit, Prizes, racquet, short story, still life, teacup, tennis, The New Yorker, tissue Leave a commentThe short story ‘Prizes’ by Janet Frame centres around a woman looking back at her life and recalling her want to win prizes. Essentially all the prizes are a disappointment and provide o happiness. Featured in my image is is the five year diary, printing set, tennis racquet with black strings and a teacup which was unused and stayed wrapped up.
By presenting them as I have I have displayed them as though they are in themselves prizes ready to be printed or being proudly displayed. I don’t think the tone of the hollowness of prizes particularly comes through in this, only really in the background colour. As this is not a scene from the story it more collects the objects as though collecting her memories in her mind and I think the background helps towards this effect even if it is unexciting. my favourite painted object is the cup, as I like play between the shape of the cup and the tissue and the transparency which mediates them. The thin straight lines of the racquet and the press were not fun to do and I don’t think they look all that effective.
Chef’s House
Posted: September 18, 2014 Filed under: subject | Tags: art, Chef's House, daisies, fish, illustration, oil paint, Raymond Carver, ring, short story, still life, The New Yorker, trout Leave a commentRaymond Carver’s ‘Chefs House’ is about a man who is living in his friend’s house. He invites his separated wife to come and stay. While there they rekindle their love but it ultimately falls flat when they must leave the house so chefs daughter can move in. In the story they catch a fish, I have used this to symbolise their dying love. The flowers are daisies that they pick, they symbolise the hope of new love for the couple. The ring placed on the fish is an obvious symbol of marriage. I chose to do this painting in black and white as I thought it would make it look cleaner. It might be better if this image was cropped down, closer to the fish as it feels a bit uncentered due to the tiles.
Cowboy
Posted: September 18, 2014 Filed under: subject | Tags: art, Cowboy, gun, hat, horseshoe, illustration, nails, oil paint, short story, still life, Thomas McGuane Leave a commentThomas McGuane’s story ‘Cowboy’ tells of a man hired onto a ranch owned by an elderly man and woman. Over a long period of time he bonds with the man, the story is slow and melancholy. I picked out three objects from the story and hung them against a wooden panel wall like a barn. The sense of light in this image could have been stronger to create more of an atmosphere. I quite like the colours in this image as they fell quite earthy and of the location of an american ranch. The hat and the gun belong to the older man and have a sense of sentimentality.
matt beese 
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